ICON Engineering reported Tuesday that TOPIC S.A. of Tunisia has engaged the company to assist in the development of the Halk el Menzel (HelM) field located in the Gulf of Hammamet. The marginal field is located in the Tunisian Sector of the Mediterranean Sea with approximately 242 feet (74 meters) water depth. To develop the field, TOPIC is to use mobile facilities which can then be moved to other fields when wells are depleted. 

The mobile facilities consist of a relocatable wellhead platform, mobile drilling and production unit (MOPDU) and a moored floating storage and offloading (FSO) tanker. “TOPIC is relying on our experience with over 25 platform installations to assist with the challenges of this project,” said Duncan Cameron, ICON senior project manager. “The main challenge is that the 400 ton jacket to be installed using the jackup was not originally designed for this installation method,” he said. “ICON must ensure that the jacket can be lifted, upended and installed in the safest and most efficient manner possible.” ICON’s activities will include the design of modifications to the TP01 (ex-West Cameron 600A) tripod jacket to support a newbuild topside facility accommodating four wellheads and associated equipment. 

The contract involves the topsides structure design, jacket modifications, rig-based installation of the jacket, preparation of the rig for the lift, foundations piling, and topside placement. After installing the topsides, TOPIC intends to use the JAWHARA 5 (ex-ENSCO 60) to drill the wells, process the fluids, and periodically work-over the down-hole electrical submersible pumps. The stabilized crude will be stored on the FSO Thapsus (ex-Teekay Karratha Spirit). The jacket and MODPU are currently being converted in Gemak Shipyard in Turkey by TOPIC’s main contractor for the HelM field development, Sarost S.A. The field is on schedule for first oil in 2014.